The present invention relates to packaging for protecting and supporting sensitive articles such as prosthetics and other medical implants when such articles are shipped from manufacturer to medical center. The suspension package is designed to maintain the sterility of the medical implants as they are shipped. Typically the devices are sterilized at the OEM and generally not resterilized at the hospital. The suspension package is designed to be relatively inexpensive to produce and allows for easy removal of medical implants from the packaging during surgery.
Prior art packages used to protect sensitive articles during shipping have many shortcomings. First, they involve a tray-in-tray system that creates a need for many separate types of trays involving both extensive warehouse storage for the various sizes and shapes and tooling costs of $20,000 to $50,000 for each separate size and shape. Second, the prior art packages involve foam pieces or other inserts to hold the devices and these inserts are both labor intensive to use and can produce foreign particulate matter in the operating room which is extremely undesirable. Third, they do not adequately protect the article during shipping. This allows damage to occur, rendering the medical implant unusable. Lastly, the prior art packaging does not allow for easy removal of the medical implants from the packing.
A need has arisen for an improved design for a suspension package. The present invention discloses an improved design for packaging sensitive articles that safely protects the articles during shipping and storage, is less expensive to produce and package, allows articles to be sterilized before shipment and allows for easy removal of articles from the packaging by the medical staff during an operating procedure.